MLB Power Rankings Week 12: Orioles dethrone Yankees

It was another exciting week in baseball with plenty of rivalry games and nail biting ends.

The division and Wild Card races are getting extremely close, but there is still plenty of time for movement before the postseason begins.

Let’s dive into the Week 10 Power Rankings in Major League Baseball.

1. Baltimore Orioles (49-25, 2nd in AL East)

There’s a new #1 in town. The Orioles have dethroned the Yankees for the top spot after taking a three-game set from them in the Bronx.

Baltimore’s lineup loved hitting in the hitter-friendly confines of Yankee Stadium since the offense finished with 26 runs in just two games.

2. New York Yankees (51-26, 1st in AL East)

The Yankees dropped a crucial series to the Orioles this week in somewhat of a surprise fashion. New York started Nestor Cortes, Gerrit Cole, and Luis Gil in the series, and Baltimore made quick work with the right-handers.

We are still very high on the Yankees because of their elite offense, but this series was an eye-opener.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers (47-30, 1st in NL West)

The Dodgers just won three out of four games in Colorado and Shohei Ohtani left his mark at Coors Field by launching the longest home run of the season thus far.

It was good to see the Dodgers win without Mookie Betts in the lineup, but the Rockies don’t pose much of a challenge. Fortunately for them, they have the Angels and White Sox next.

4. Philadelphia Phillies (49-25, 1st in NL East)

Trea Turner is back! The speedy shortstop helped lead the Phillies to a series win over the Padres, but the more impressive part of the series was their pitching. Philadelphia allowed just 10 runs in three games as Cristopher Sanchez, Aaron Nola, and Ranger Suarez kept the dangerous San Diego lineup in check.

5. Cleveland Guardians (46-26, 1st in AL Central)

Cleveland took a series from the AL West leading Mariners this week and will now welcome the Blue Jays to town this weekend.

The Guardians lineup remains elite, and the real star of the lineup has been Steven Kwan who is nearly hitting .400 this season. Plus, Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor have been phenomenal in the heart of the order.

6. Seattle Mariners (44-33, 1st in AL West)

The AL West is not the strongest this season. The Mariners hold first place in the division at the moment, but the lineup ranks 26th in runs per game and 29th in team batting average.

It’s been their pitching that has launched them to leading the division as George Kirby, Luis Castillo, Bryan Woo, and Logan Gilbert have been incredible.

7. Atlanta Braves (41-31, 2nd in NL East)

Even without Ronald Acuna Jr. and Michael Harris, the Braves have won five of their last six games and even shelled the AL Cy Young frontrunner Tarik Skubal.

It was a good sign to see the Atlanta offense still hitting well even without a few of their best hitters. The real test is this weekend though: a three-game set against the Yankees.

8 Boston Red Sox (40-35, 3rd in AL East)

Every time we think the Red Sox are headed for a losing streak, they turn it around and make a run for the Wild Card.

Boston has won eight of their last 10 games and their lineup has been fabulous. Earlier in the season, the pitching was the key to their success. But in the last few weeks, Jarren Duran, Raffy Devers, and Tyler O’Neill have been ripping the cover off the ball.

9. Milwaukee Brewers (44-31, 1st in NL Central)

The Brewers have won 4 series in a row heading into their weekend series against the Padres. The Milwaukee lineup remains the biggest strength of the team, but the pitching has been better recently.

However, the Brewers just announced that Robert Gasser will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery.

10. Minnesota Twins (41-34, 3rd in AL Central)

Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis might be the two hottest hitters on the planet. The left side of the infield has been on fire at the plate in the last two weeks which has led to the Twins winning eight of their last 11 games. Once the rotation improves a bit, the Twins are going to be hard to beat.

11. Washington Nationals (36-38, 3rd in NL East)

We've been very impressed from what we've seen with the Nationals lately. The Nats have won nine of their last 12 games which has included wins over the Braves, Tigers, and Diamondbacks.

The lineup has been hitting well, and the rotation has been top notch. Washington could be a dark horse in the second half.

12. New York Mets (35-38, 4th in NL East)

The Mets are right behind the Nats in the busy NL East standings, but even winning eight of their last 10 games couldn't lead them past the Nationals. New York has had a power surge at the plate recently as Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor have been hot, but J.D. Martinez and Francisco Alvarez have been producing too.

13. Kansas City Royals (42-34, 2nd in AL Central)

We keep having to drop the Royals a bit because they’ve been slacking recently. Kansas City is just a few weeks away from the All-Star break, but they look like they need it right now.

The Royals have lost seven of their last 10 games and are in danger of letting the Twins leap them in the standings.

14. Arizona Diamondbacks (37-38, 2nd in NL West)

The Snakes have shown some fight recently with five wins in their last seven games. Corbin Carroll appears to finally be hitting like he did last season and Christian Walker has been a perfect cleanup hitter for Arizona.

The Diamondbacks will need Jordan Montgomery to step it up in the absence of Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly.

15. San Diego Padres (39-40, 3rd in NL West)

The Padres have so much potential, but they remain very mediocre in the standings. Sitting just below .500 on the season and 5-5 in their last 10 games, the Padres just can’t seem to break through.

They have the pieces and a very deep lineup, so we're still hopeful it will click soon enough.

16. St. Louis Cardinals (37-37, 2nd in NL Central)

17. Pittsburgh Pirates (36-38, 3rd in NL Central)

18. Houston Astros (35-40, 2nd in AL West)

19. Tampa Bay Rays (36-39, 4th in AL East)

20. Chicago Cubs (36-39, 4th in NL Central)

21. San Francisco Giants (36-40, 4th in NL West)

22. Texas Rangers (34-40, 3rd in AL West)

23. Toronto Blue Jays (35-39, 5th in AL East)

24. Cincinnati Reds (35-39, 5th in NL Central)

25. Detroit Tigers (34-40, 4th in AL Central)

26. Los Angeles Angels (29-45, 4th in AL West)

27. Oakland Athletics (28-49, 5th in AL West)

28. Miami Marlins (25-49, 5th in NL East)

29. Colorado Rockies (26-49, 5th in NL West)

30. Chicago White Sox (20-56, 5th in AL Central)